A Children’s Ministry of One

Tower of Babel “How big is your children’s ministry?” I always hate that question. People always assume because I have a big website I am a children’s pastor from some megachurch. I don’t hate the question because my answer has never been a big number. I’ve always enjoyed answering with a small number and enjoyed the look of surprise I see. I’ve been proud to serve in small to mid-sized churches and be able to relate to the “average” children’s pastor.  I hate the question because it equates the size of your church to your value as a pastor. That is why I never ask children’s pastors the size of their ministry. I ask them to tell me stories about the kids in their church. I ask about their challenges and about what exciting new things they are trying. I ask them about what truly matters. Because, as Yoda said, “Size matters not.” Instead, now that I am a father, when people ask me how many kids are in my children’s ministry, I answer, “Just one.” After I see the puzzled look on their face, I say, “and his name is Luke.” We have class time every evening. I call…

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Hittin’ The Oregon Trail

I’m excited to be heading to OREGON this weekend! If you live up in the Great NorthWest* – I hope you can drop by for some great training! Download FULL SIZE PDF Flyer (2.3MB) I’m in for a BUSY weekend! I’m doing a Family Program on Friday Night – one of my favorite presentations, “Lions, and Bears and Fire, OH MY!” It’s an evening of laughter and comedy and story telling that encourages kids and old folks alike to enjoy whatever age they are – and to realize that they are part of HIS–STORY! It was born out of an invitation once to speak at an author’s assembly for Order of the Ancient and I thought, “How can I just talk about my book for an hour – how boring!” (Even though my book is quite exciting, mind you – I wasn’t going to read it!) And I didn’t want the assembly to be a long commercial for my book. So instead, I did what I knew the kids in my ministry loved most – my story telling, and I wove it around the reasons WHY we love stories in the first place and revealed the SECRET FORMULA of a…

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Easter Resources Guide

In order to help you plan for Easter, Kidology.org has put together a helpful Easter Resources Guide to showcase the wide variety of Easter Resouces that are available for you to make the most of this special holiday. Be sure to also check out the Easter Zone which is PACKED full of Creative Ideas for this season. PLUS! If you haven’t already – be sure to UPDATE YOUR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS and select the all new “Kidology Weekly Update” so you get our brand new Monday E-mail which includes the return on the Manic Monday deal that is exclusive to that newsletter! Just trying to help you make this EASTER to BEST YET!

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Are You On Track For My Fast Track?

Are you coming to San Diego in March? (previous blog post) Let me invite you to my ALL DAY Kidology Training! I’m looking forward to spending an entire day in sunny San Diego with a select group of folks talking about children’s ministry and enjoying some sweet fellowship. It will be a fun intimate setting with great practical training! GET MORE INFO! REGISTER NOW! TWEET IT: http://tinyurl.com/regCPC2011 TWEET IT: http://tinyurl.com/cpc11sdprecon

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Social Media Bad for Kids?

Social Media and Kids from a Conflicted Social Media Junky by Karl Bastian (a.k.a. Kidologist) See at the bottom how to WIN A FREE BOOK and Download the Complete Kidology Report on Social Media and Kids that includes additional authors. I both love social media and fear it. I can’t attack it too much or I’d be a hypocrite I have over 10,000 “tweets” so far, and nearing 1000 friends on Facebook, but why do I still feel so lonely? Social networking is a part of my daily – O.K., let’s be honest, moment by moment, life! I do not, not, think it is an addiction or bad for me! (I could quit any time I wanted to, right? I just don’t want to!) Quite to the contrary, it has given me yet another avenue to amplify the message God has given me to share. Unlike many who live their lives like a pin-ball game bouncing through life from one opportunity to another with no clear game plan, I sought God for a very specific Life Mission at age nineteen and have had a laser focus on that Mission ever since. It is written and defined and has enabled me…

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